Mail-box.



for?" POSEY REYN OLDS, OF

PATENT oEEioE.A

LEVEL RUN. VIRGINIA.

MAIL-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 7, 1910.

Application filed December 30, 1909. Serial No. 535,545.

To all whom it 'may concern.'

Be it known that I, Poser REYNOLDS, a

Citizen of the lnited States, residingr at` Level Run, in the county of littsylvania and State of Virginia-` have invented certain new and iisef`iil Improvements in Mail- Boxes, of which the following is a specification. v

This invention relates to mail boxes adapted for use in the rural free delivery service and has for its object to provide a box which will raise and lower the signal flag in such a manner that it will at no time remain raised when there is no inail within the box.

further object Ot' this invention is to i construct a hox of this type and character f which will operate upon the lightest article i of .mail being placed therein, raising the flag. Furthermore a protection is provided y. for the flag that will prevent ice or sieet from crustingr overA the opening and interfering with the operation ofthe flag, and also preventivi-in, snow or the like from leaking into the liox and damagingr the mail.

.ll'itli the aliove and other objects iii view, i

this iii-".ition consists ot' the construction, combination and.arrangement of parts all as hereinafter more l'ully described` claimed and illustrated-iii the accompanying drawings \\'hercin:

Figure l is a central longitudinal section of a device constructed in accordance with the present iinei'ition; l'fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken along line of Fig. l.

Reference hein;|- had to the accompanying drawings, indicate,- a hox constructed in a manner somewhat .similar to the rural free delivery boxes now in use. havingr one extremity thereofclosed by the partition liand the other provided with the, door il. This door has securedthereto the hasp 3 which is 5 heut augiilarlyat -l to insure its engagement with the top oi.l the linx and operates over the staple 5. horizontal openingr t3 is probvided in the door l2 adjacent to thi` upper portion thercol'.` said opening adapted to lio elo-ed normally h'y-i'i llap T retained iu position by the tlap bearing against the interior ofthe door. longitudinal opening 9 is provided in the upper side ol' the casing A and `adjacent the reara ard extremity thereof. said opening being provided with a housing tt) completely covering said openin r and secured at-l each extremity thereof to the casing:r A.. This housing lf) is of such ia construction that the sides thereof and the end 10 are open permitting an uninterrupted view to be had of any `signal projecting through the opening 9 from the interior of the box. An inwardly and downwardly projecting lug l1 is formed on one f side of the opening 9 and at the extremity thereof toward the opposite end of the casing. g Secured to the bottoni of the box A and i projecting upwardly at right angles thereto j isthe support l2 secured to the bottoni hy the laterally extending flanges 13. At the upper extremity of the support 12 are formed the transversely extending arms l-l, said arms being prmided with the recesses 15 in their upper edges.

r1`he signal operating tray 16 is pivotally mounted on the arms ll through the instrumentality of the upwardlyY extending flanges 17 formed from said tray adjacent said farms. A pair of coinciding openings 1S pierce the flanges` 1T, said openings having the lower sides 19 thereof curved to provide for the clearance of the tray when the latter i swings. The upper sides of the openings 18 are approximately straight and converge, at

cesses 15 of the arms l-l. 'lhis tray extends approximately the entire lciigth'olithe hox and is so located that any mail whatsoever dropped through the slot ti' is caught on the ,i forward extremity thereof. Adjacent the l openings 1S and in the flanges 1T are toi-ined ,j a series of orifices lthsaid orifices coinciding, l foriiiin,"r a journal for the balance weight 2|) pivoted between said flanges. ln order that :i means whereby." the balance ot the tray :naif 'ie,: I'-istrd to suit various occasions aux: .ircunsaances, a pair of flanges 2l are t'ornied adjoining tht-'flanges IT and to onel side thereof in which are rigidly secured the .stationary screws '12. (lin these stationary screws is threaded the adjusting weight 223 which` through the instruiuentalily of' i said screws. may lic located on either side of the center support l2 oll tlie tray. and thps f permit the minute adjustment of the tray in absolutely posiliul upon the slightest pre-- sure heiu, r exerted at the t'orward extremity i thereof.

livotally connected to the lug lt by th'e pin or rivet 2l is the flag or .signal 135. to be projected through the openingt) into ,the housing l0 upon the dropping of the lorl such :i nianiiei' that the opa-ration tliereol' is l l l i l the point of convergency bearing iii the re.

. ward 'extremity of the operating tray 16, as

is illustrated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings. To permit this action a link 26 is secured to the flag or signal 25 at the rearward extremity thereof and to the lng 27 rojecting upwardly from the tray 16 provi ed with a series of openings 2S which permit the adjustment of the link.

To prevent the forward extremity of the tray 16 from rising above the horizontal, a pair of flanges 29 are secured to the sides of the casing adjacent the forward extremity thereof andare adapted to bear against said tray when the same rests in a horizontal position.

The entire device is made out of sheet metal and the elements thereof are riveted together in such a manner that they form a firm and substantial casing. Approximately the elements of which t ey are formed, thus 20 all of the flanges and lugs are stamped from reducing the cost of manufacture and in-V creasing the cheapness thereof.

Having thus fully described my invention, what is claimed as new is:

A mail box comprising a casing having an opening formed in one extremity thereof, a housing surrounding said opening, a signal pivoted on the interior of said casing and adjacent to said opening, a tray pivotally mounted in said casing,ae0nneetion between the rear terminal of said tray and said signal, and angle irons secured to the sides of the casing whereby the upward movement of th'e tray 1s limited. I

In testimon whereof I` affix my signature in presence o two witnesses.

POSEY REYNOLDS.

W'itnesses T. J. MAYS, T. L. JACOBS. 

